The General's Repentance: From the Battlefield to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Jiang Wei, a historical figure from the Three Kingdoms period of China, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,760 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 1, 2026.

Jiang Wei speaks:

"My heart was once as bold as a bushel, clear and bright, holding fast to loyalty for the Han Dynasty. Yet, who could have known that the laws of karma and cause and effect would weigh every grain of sand? I found myself trapped in the suffering of the hells. Good and evil are two separate paths, yet the clarity of the universe resides within a single heart. Who could have known that this old soldier's resolve would be so hard, yet unable to resist the vast ocean of karma that pulled me into its depths? I stand before you now, a spirit who has traversed the darkest abysses of existence, only to be pulled into the light by the boundless compassion of the Buddha."

A Life of Loyalty and War

"I am Jiang Wei, a native of Ji County, Tianshui Commandery, in Liangzhou. From my earliest days, my father was a hero in my eyes, having died in battle while defending our commandery. I grew up relying solely on my mother, and that bond was the bedrock of my early life. Later, I served in the Cao Wei government, eventually rising to the rank of Colonel in Tianshui. When the great strategist Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expedition, our governor, Ma Zun, grew suspicious of us for reasons unknown and locked us outside the city gates. With nowhere else to turn, we had no choice but to surrender to the Shu Han. Fortunately, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang appreciated my talents. Once I gained his trust, I began to participate in the military training of the Shu Han forces, dedicating my life to the cause of the Han.

Years later, the Prime Minister passed away. Because of his care and instructions during his lifetime, my career advanced rapidly, and I was soon promoted to General Who Conquers the West. After many campaigns, I was officially appointed as the Great General. Before this, I had already achieved some military success, but it was then that I encountered my greatest rival: Deng Ai of the Cao Wei camp. I clashed with him many times; sometimes I could not secure a victory, and other times I was defeated. In my final Northern Expedition, I was defeated by him once again. Then came the critical battle where Deng Ai secretly crossed the Yinping mountains, a feat that brought great glory to Cao Wei. When our Emperor surrendered, the Shu Han perished. Having received the order to surrender, I had no choice but to lead my troops to lay down their arms, a moment that still haunts the memories of my spirit."

The Agony of the Hells

"After the fall of Shu Han, I waited for an opportunity, eventually inciting Zhong Hui to rebel in a desperate attempt to restore the nation. I even sent secret letters to the Emperor, hoping he could endure for a few more days, believing we could soon restore the kingdom. However, the plot was exposed, and in the chaos of the ensuing battle, I was killed by enemy forces. That was how my life ended, in a flurry of steel and betrayal.

Throughout my life, I held the highest military positions in Shu Han, standing at the head of the officials. Yet, my living quarters were humble. I took no concubines and accumulated no wealth; my salary was always used where it was needed. This was not a deliberate act of virtue, but rather my natural way of being. I had no craving for material things and was quite satisfied with that life. I never regretted joining the Shu Han; firstly, I was out of options, and secondly, my heart was truly tied to the Han Dynasty. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Zhuge Liang for his appreciation of me; it was because of him that I had all the opportunities for advancement that followed.

After I died, however, I descended into the hells to undergo punishment. I had spent my entire life in warfare, and the number of people I killed was not small. Although my heart was open and I fought solely for the Han Dynasty, I harboured no hatred or negative emotions during those battles. I fought only for the position I had chosen. Because I was naturally bold, I possessed a degree of clarity and rationality on the battlefield that most people lacked. Nevertheless, the laws of karma and cause and effect are distinct and absolute. The souls that perished by my blade and the casualties caused by the armies I led—all of this was undeniably linked to me. I had never imagined I would face such retribution in the hells, as I understood nothing of the cycle of rebirth.

Standing before the King of Hell, listening to the judgment, I clearly understood my mistakes, and I willingly accepted the punishment. The hells are truly miserable; it is a pain that pierces the very depths of one's soul. This suffering cannot be eased; it can only be endured, over and over again. I repented deeply. The more painful the punishment, the more I realised the weight of the sins I had committed. My heart grew more repentant with each passing day. Finally, after one thousand years of suffering in the hells, my spirit was released, and I arrived at Chengdu, the former capital of Shu Han."

A Wandering Soul in a Changing World

"I held a deep attachment to that place. Because I had incited Zhong Hui to rebel, the Wei army fell into total chaos. The scene was incredibly turbulent, and I knew Chengdu was about to face a bloodbath. Although I had acted to restore the nation, the result was that I brought even more harm to the people of Chengdu. I had to bear the karmic responsibility for all of it. If the plan had succeeded, the Shu Han would have been restored; if it failed, the people of Chengdu would suffer a backlash they could not endure.

My spirit drifted through Chengdu, watching as the city changed beyond recognition, and my heart was filled with emotion. For over seven hundred years, my soul wandered this world. I did not know where my destination was; I simply drifted aimlessly. I would specifically visit the sites where wars had occurred to observe everything that took place. It was a strange sensation, existing as a spirit without a body, watching what war is truly like. I was astonished to discover that many of the souls who died in these wars were trapped within the space of the battlefield. So many souls appeared, each suffering immense pain in various ways.

In the past, I never knew that a war does not simply end when the fighting stops. Beyond the suffering in the human world, the spirits of those who died on the battlefield are often still trapped in the tragedy of their own pain. Watching this, my heart was filled with sorrow, but I was powerless to do anything for them. I could only watch silently as it played out over and over again, a cycle of misery that seemed to have no end."

The Light of Deliverance

"One day, while my soul was still wandering aimlessly, I encountered my day of good fortune. I met Practitioner Su, who had come to China to perform Chao Du, saving all sentient beings without any discrimination. I saw Practitioner Su appear in the sky, becoming immense, bringing with him the brilliant light of Namo Amituofo. Within that great golden light, I was carried by a warm and powerful force to the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Here, my soul was filled with strength once again, and being bathed in Buddha light gave me a new life. Here, I have my own lotus seat. I am very eager to learn, not wasting a single second, studying this power that saved me. So, this is what a Buddha is; a Buddha is one who comes to save the suffering spirits of the world. Right now, Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, having been summoned by the vow of Practitioner Su.

From the day I was saved, I made up my mind to follow Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I want to learn these skills and abilities so that I, too, can help those suffering souls. The first thing I did was to observe what Practitioner Su does every day. It turns out that the one thing he does continuously is Chao Du. Among these, the deliverance of China is a part that Practitioner Su values greatly. This is because he has vowed to save all the suffering souls in China and the people on this land. Therefore, he constantly uses his countless manifestations to go to every corner of China to save spirits, using only the Holy Name of Namo Amituofo. I have witnessed this with my own eyes. I never dared to imagine that this Holy Name could have such immense power, actually helping Practitioner Su save the immeasurable and boundless suffering souls across all of China.

How many souls are there in the world who suffer and cannot escape? Countless. I do not know where so many souls come from, but when Practitioner Su performs Chao Du, one can clearly see that they are truly immeasurable. These souls are bathed in Buddha light, find liberation, and arrive at the Western Dharma-Nature Land, where they have a chance at rebirth. Seeing this, I am deeply moved. The Buddha is truly great, capable of allowing so many souls to escape their suffering. Once they enter the Western Dharma-Nature Land, they no longer have pain or afflictions, and they even have the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is what I have learned here, and it is a truth that has transformed my very existence."

The Truth About the Demon Realm

"The Buddha-land established by Namo Amituofo is called the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; it is a land of dignity, even more bright and beautiful than the Western Dharma-Nature Land where I currently reside. The Western Dharma-Nature Land is a world achieved by the vow of Practitioner Su after he attained Buddhahood, created specifically so that suffering souls can have a place to settle. Any soul that enters the Western Dharma-Nature Land will listen to sutras and hear the Dharma, undergo purification, and have the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Now that I know the terror of the cycle of rebirth, I am truly filled with admiration for the great Wisdom, great vow, and great compassion of Practitioner Su. Any soul that has experienced the cycle of rebirth knows that it is too painful. In the hells, the pain of punishment is truly heart-wrenching, yet there is no way to escape it. Like me, after leaving the hells, I became a lonely wandering spirit in the world, which was truly painful. There are still so many souls suffering like I did. Now, because Practitioner Su has established the Western Dharma-Nature Land and is saving the beings of China on a massive scale, any soul that arrives here has the opportunity to escape the cycle of rebirth forever. That is to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, a world without suffering. This is a compassion that cannot be described in words.

I must also tell the public about the demon crowds in China. I was not familiar with them before, but after arriving at the Western Dharma-Nature Land and watching Practitioner Su perform Chao Du, I realised that there is a group of beings in the spiritual realms who were once human like me, but after death, they entered the Demon Realm and became what we call demon crowds. The state of these demon souls is clearly different from us lonely wandering spirits; they possess a very strong aggression. In terms of the Buddha, the souls of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are of a perfect golden colour, making one feel respect and joy upon seeing them. People who are relatively kind and pure in the world have souls that tend towards a bright, translucent white. Many celestial deities also come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek Spiritual Deliverance, and the light of these heavenly spirits tends towards a bright yellow. However, the souls of the demon crowds tend towards purple, black, and dark colours. These demon crowds are distributed very widely throughout China, and their numbers are unimaginably large. Especially around the Chinese people, there are many such demon crowds. This is what I have seen while watching Practitioner Su perform Chao Du from the Western Dharma-Nature Land. Now, to save the Chinese people, Practitioner Su is working day and night without rest to save the demon crowds of all of China, hoping to purify the entire magnetic field of the country. Firstly, to save these suffering demon spirits who took the wrong path into the Demon Realm; and secondly, by saving the massive number of demon crowds and sending them to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, he allows the people of China to be free from the interference and control of these demons, giving them a chance to wake up."

A Vow to Save Others

"I have seen Practitioner Su's manifestations, countless in number—in Buddhist terms, these are called countless manifestations. This is a symbolic number representing the immeasurable and boundless. So many manifestations of Practitioner Su, each shining with golden light, look truly spectacular. He brings Namo Amituofo to every region of China, whether it be the mountains and rivers, the high-rise buildings of the cities, or even the deepest spaces. Practitioner Su opens these spaces and shines the twelve rays of Buddha light, saving large numbers of demon crowds and bringing them all to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. These demon crowds are then able to shed their demon nature and be reborn in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. Seeing all this, I am filled with joy. The more I understand the suffering of people and the suffering of spirits, the more joy I feel when I see Practitioner Su saving sentient beings. Every act of deliverance means that one more soul in unbearable pain is saved. I have come to understand that the Buddha is truly different from people. What people do often causes suffering, but what the Buddha does makes one feel joy and helps one let go of the dust and stains in one's heart. This is because the Buddha is always saving sentient beings, always representing the light that shines, representing hope, and representing the salvation of all spirits.

I am grateful for the salvation of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I am truly a lucky soul to be able to accept the teachings of the Buddha. Now, on my lotus seat, I have vowed that in the future, I too will save sentient beings just like the Buddha. I am listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks with the most grateful heart, holding fast to this Holy Name, Namo Amituofo. Thank you to the Buddha for his great compassion, allowing this suffering soul of mine to be reborn. I am now living a completely different life, full of hope and vitality. I have also vowed to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, hoping to attain Buddhahood there and save even more sentient beings in the future. This is a gift given to us by the great compassion of Namo Amituofo, and I am deeply grateful.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo. Gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."